Over the years, the sport of gymnastics has undergone a metamorphosis. Possibly a positive one! Gymnasts today are subjected to a tad more freedom than what was previously exercised. Who says this? Well, this is something that gymnastics veteran, Gabby Douglas has just spelled out!

In an interview with Forbes, Douglas, who was the first African-American to conquer an all-around title at the 2012 London Olympics, confessed that the sport was much “less intense” today. She says this in comparison with the times when she previously competed. Interestingly, Douglas has only returned to the mats this year, after an eight-year-long break! But, as per her, what are the changes majorly about?

Well, Douglas remarks, “You can kind of play around a little bit of the competitions and put on a show versus when we did it was more serious”. Moreover, she comments on how casual and playful bits are now incorporated into gymnastics. “We were never really allowed to play in front of the cameras after the routine. We always had to be very professional and now you can kind of have more freedom to do what you want”, she cited. Thus, the modified version appears to be a stark contrast to the older times, according to Douglas.

However, back in the day, Douglas did not just circumvent her way through a more serious version of gymnastics. She even faced a slew of issues, like financial obstructions, racial barriers, and even nasty politics. The peak of the politics hitting out in Rio, her last elite gymnastics event before her prolonged career gap. But what had happened in Rio that troubled Douglas? Let’s have a look.

Gabby Douglas’ gruesome Rio tale

2016, Rio de Janeiro was supposed to be Gabby Douglas’ second Olympic stint, and hopefully a victorious one. But something happened that turned it into a rather bitter experience. It started when Douglas did not place her hand on the heart while the USA national anthem was being played during the medal ceremony, which had people thrash her with unending criticism. Some tagged her ‘unpatriotic’ while others saw it as a disrespect to the nation. Whereas, later during the competition when USA shotput players Ryan Crouser and Joe Kovacs did the same, it surprisingly did not fume into a fire.

Preceding this, the 3-time Olympic medalist was even ridiculed for her hairstyle. While dealing with this was already difficult, another angle burst out, attacking Douglas. Some of the people questioned her support for her teammates, citing that she wasn’t happy and was not smiling in a particular snippet. This led her to say, “Either it was about my hair or my hand not over my heart [on the medal podium] or I look depressed….It was hurtful. It was. It’s been kind of a lot to deal with”.

And now that Douglas recalled the Rio horror, speaking to NBC, she cited how she had a “rough go” in Rio. She outright commented, “I faced a lot of challenges in 2016”. And even added, “It was a lot of politics that I faced, and I got super tired and burnt out. I didn’t give it my best effort during the second Olympics, and so that always kind of ate me up”. But today, Douglas feels the scenario is different and quite less intense. Adapting to that, she is now looking at the LA 2028 Olympics ahead. What do you think of her struggles and heroic comeback? Let us know.